New York Yankees

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Off Brett Marshall starts today against the Durham Bulls at 6:35 pm. Double-A Trenton Thunder: L 4-5 vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels DH Jose Pirela 0-4, BBSS Walter Ibarra 3-5, KRF Tyler Austin 0-5, 2 K - 7 for his last 39 (.179)C JR Murphy 1-4, K1B Kyle Roller 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, K - sixth homer of the seasonCF Neil Medchill 2-4, 2 2B, RBILF Casey Stevenson 0-4, 3 K2B Ali Castillo 0-2, BB3B Kevin Mahoney 0-4, K Jose Ramirez 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, K, 3 WP - 31 of 58 pitches for strikesJeremy Bleich 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, K, HB, E1 - six groundouts, one flyoutFred Lewis 2.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 KAaron Dott 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB Trenton managed to keep the game close after Ramirez lasted only an inning and two-thirds, mainly thanks to a three-run eighth inning. A scuffling Tyler Austin had a chance in the ninth inning, but his struggles continued. Nik Turley pitches for the Thunder today at 6:35 pm. High-A Tampa Yankees: L 4-12 vs. Bradenton Marauders CF Mason Williams 0-4, BB, K - 7 for his last 40 (.175)DH Angelo Gumbs 3-4, 2 2B, BB2B Rob Refsnyder 0-3, 2 BBC Gary Sanchez 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K - eighth homer of the seasonLF Ben Gamel 1-4, RBI, BB, KSS Carmen Angelini 2-5, HR, RBI - second homer of the season3B Dan Fiorito 0-4, K, HBP1B Jackson Valera 1-4RF Cody Grice 0-3, BB, K, OF assist, 2 E9 - two fielding errors Scottie Allen 3 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WP - 42 of 67 pitches for strikesRigoberto Arrebato 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 KZach Arneson 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, HBManny Barreda 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, BB, K A disaster, to put it simply. The starter failed and a fail in the bullpen compounded that. At least there are Sanchez dingers to take the sting off. Bryan Mitchell starts for Tampa today at 6:30 pm. Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: W 4-2 vs. Savannah Sand Gnats CF Jake Cave 1-4, BB, K - 13 for his last 44 (.295)SS Cito Culver 0-5, 2 K1B Greg Bird 2-5, KC Peter O'Brien 0-3, BB, K, HBP - batting .320 this season3B Dante Bichette Jr. 2-5, RBI, K - eight game hitting streak, 12 for his last 38 (.316)RF Yeicok Calderon 1-4, 2B, BB, 2 KLF Taylor Dugas 2-4, RBI, HBPDH Kelvin De Leon 1-5, RBI2B Claudio Custodio 1-4, SB - 7 for his last 37 (.189) Evan Rutckyj 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HB - three groundouts, one flyoutDietrich Enns 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K - 43 strikeouts in 25.1 IPPhil Wetherell 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BBBen Paullus 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, HB If the RiverDogs lost this game, they'd have fallen to second place in the South Atlantic League standings. DBJ has kept his streak of hot hitting going and the RiverDogs managed to pull off the win to stay in first. Charleston starts a series with the Greenville Drive tomorrow after taking three of four from them last weekend.

(Syndicated from An A-Blog for A-Rod.  Stats have not been updated to reflect last night's game) Anybody who's read AB4AR for at least a year knows I'm an unabashed sucker for relievers coming out of nowhere and performing well in the Yankee bullpen.  It's been a staple of their overall bullpen success for at least the last 5 seasons running and last year it reached new levels of surprising success when Clay Rapada and Cody Eppley teamed up to provide a major boost to a bullpen in need.  That familiar story is being written again this season by a new group of unheralded, unexpected pitchers, many of them part of that large group of rookies who've made their debuts in 2013.  Unsung bullpen heroes AND they're homegrown?  You betcha. Click "View Full Post" to continue.

So Hiroki got tagged in the first and then hit by a line drive in the calf in the second. He was removed from the game in the third and the word is he won’t miss his next start but the Orioles had all the runs they’d need as they earned a 6-3 win. Some nice pitching by Adam Warren and three hits by Curtis Granderson, including his first homer of the year, were the highlights for the Yanks who have today off. [Photo Credit: Robb Carr/Getty Images]

I was actually planning to write one of those “random thoughts” posts this morning, but as I’m sitting here, about to fly to Tampa, I really have only two random thoughts:  1. The pitching staff really dodged a bullet last night; and 2. The offense really needs a huge, breakout game at some point. The first thought pretty much speaks for itself. Just like last season, Hiroki Kuroda has been the Yankees best starter. I think CC Sabathia has become somewhat underrated — the velocity is down, and he’s not Justin Verlander, but he regularly gives the Yankees quality innings and a chance to win — but Kuroda has been the rotation’s knockout punch. When last night’s game started, Kuroda was second in the league in ERA. When that comebacker hit off his shin, the Yankees were in trouble. Of course, it turned out, the injury was incredibly minor. A bruised calf should heal just fine, and absolutely no one seems legitimately concerned that Kuroda will miss a start. With each of these injuries, I keep wondering which one will be the straw that breaks the Yankees’ back. Losing Kuroda might have done it, especially when the rotation depth is already being tested. And that rotation is vital because of the second random thought: The Yankees offense has been spectacular considering the circumstances. They’ve used four different shortstops, and four different third basemen, and their starting first baseman is only there because the three options the Yankees brought to spring training didn’t work out. So, we knew all along that the offense was going to have to scratch for some runs, and for the most part, the lineup has been able to do exactly that. It’s gotten some timely hits and some surprising power, and a good pitching staff has turned that into 28 wins. It’s defied xpectation, and it’s made the Yankees one of the surprise teams in baseball. But the lineup hasn’t been explosive, and it’s hard for any team to keep winning all of these tight games. We saw that on Tuesday night when the Yankees bullpen finally gave up a run in the 10th, and we saw that on Wednesday night when a four-run Orioles lead was never seriously challenged. The Yankees need their pitching, which means they need Kuroda. But they could sure use some offense, too. Associated Press photo The post The good and the bad as the Yankees head to Tampa appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had a day off. Trenton lost to Richmond 5-4: The Thunder drew first blood, when Kyle Roller started the second with a single to center and Neil Medchill doubled him in. The lead was short-lived, however, as Richmond took advantage of some sloppy pitching in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Lollis led off with a walk and Andrew Susac drew a free pass as well. A wild pitch moved the runners over and another loaded the bases with two outs. Brett Krill laced a double to right, scoring Lollis and Susac for the 2-1 advantage. A two-run triple by Adam Duvall in the fourth doubled the Flying Spiders' score. Back-to-back doubles by Susac and Krill gave Richmond one more run, putting the Thunder down 5-1. With time running out, Trenton rallied in the top of the eighth. A single by Walter Ibarra gave the Thunder their first runner of the inning. A single by JR Murphy put two runners on and Roller drove a homer over the wall in left, bringing the Thunder within one run of the Flying Spiders. Trenton had a chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth, as Ali Castillo reached on an error and Jose Pirela drew a one out walk, but the Thunder couldn't bring home a runner, taking the 5-4 loss. Ibarra went 3-5 with a run scored. Roller went 3-4 with two runs scored, a homer and three RBIs. Medchill went 2-4 with two doubles and a RBI. Tyler Austin went 0-5 with two Ks. Jose Ramirez threw 1.2 innings and gave up two runs on two hits, five walks and a strikeout. Jeremy Bleich went 3.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits, a walk and a strikeout. Fred Lewis pitched 2.1 innings, scattering four hits and a walk. He struck out two. Aaron Dott finished out the game and did not give up a hit or walk. (click "view full post" to read more)

Forget the cowbell, the Yankees need more Toronto. New York is ten games over .500 so far this season. Breaking it down, they are 8-1 when playing the Blue Jays and 20-17 when playing everyone else.

Via Paul Lukas – We’ve known for several months now that MLB teams would be wearing G.I. Joe caps on Memorial Day. But reader Brendan Hickey has picked up on something that hasn’t yet been officially announced: If you go to each MLB team’s online shop and go to the listing of men’s authentic jerseys, the first item listed is a jersey with camouflage numbering and lettering, similar to the ones worn this past Saturday by the Angels and White Sox (that was for Armed Forces Day). In each case, the team’s online shop only shows a home camo jersey or a road camo jersey — not both — depending on whether the team is playing at home or on the road next Monday. Tucked away in the fine print is the following line: “As worn on-field Memorial Day May 27th, 2013.” So every MLB team will be wearing G.I. Joe jerseys next Monday (yes, even the Yankees), in addition to the G.I. Joe caps. It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating: Memorial Day is not a day for celebrating the military. It’s a day for honoring the military dead. A more appropriate gesture would be an MLB-wide black armband. An even better gesture would be a pregame moment of silence, without anything on the uniform. But as is so often the case nowadays, merchandising and pandering trump common sense. Amen.

The story. Hey, maybe the dude can parlay this into becoming a spokesperson for K-Y® INTRIGUE® Premium Intimacy Lubricants?

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible Yankees 3, Orioles 6: Hiroki Kuroda gets hit by another ball Wednesday Yankees lineup vs. Orioles; a look at Memorial Day uniforms Sabermetric hitting primer: a conversation Camden Yards: Setting a new standard in stadium construction Baby Bomber Recap 5/21/13: Peter O'Brien stays hot in Charleston's shutout win Around the Internet Rotation Legitimacy - It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: If you compare David Phelps' fitst two seasons with Ivan Novas' and Phil Hughes' first two season, Phelps is the one that comes out on top. Starter or Reliever - Fangraphs | JD Sussman: Jose Ramirez might be destined for the bullpen because he struggles with efficiency, his breaking ball doesn't put hitters away, and his delivery has a noticeable effort and recoil to it. Continuing to Contribute - Replacement Level Yankees Weblog: Lyle Overbay has been good in filling in for Mark Teixeira, but when Tex comes back Overbay should stay on to either provide injury depth or platoon at first base. A Decision That Has to Be Made - The Times–Tribune | Donnie Collins: Chien-Ming Wang's next opt out date is March 31, but it doesn't seem like he's shown enough to really find a role with the team, so what do you do with him? Big Chance - It's About the Money | Michael Eder: Reid Brignac could force Jayson Nix off the roster as a backup because he has more breakout potential as a 27-year-old and would compliment Eduardo Nunez and Kevin Youkilis. Success - CBS Sports | Danny Knobler: The Yankees have found success from their veterans, but it is hitting coach Kevin Long who has turned them back into productive players. Rejuvenated - MiLB | Guy Curtright: Rob Refsnyder attributes his rough 2012 season to exhaustion from the College World Series, but now he's back to hitting like he always has. Quick Hits Austin Romine is the first Yankee rookie catcher to start four straight games since Jorge Posada in 1997. The Yankees are ranking at the bottom of the league in pitches per plate appearance. CC Sabathia will get an extra day of rest and will now pitch on Sunday instead of Saturday. Kevin Youkilis, Mark Teixeira hit in simulated games, Joba Chamerlain threw an inning and Eduardo Nunez took BP. Joe Girardi implied that the outfield rotation will come to an end in order to have the same lineup every night. Questions of the Day What one Yankee prospect would you want up in the majors right now? What one former Yankee never gets the credit they deserve? Do you collect anything? If so what or if not what would you want to collect? What is the worst movie you have seen in the past six months? Coming Up Today Baby Bomber Recap 5/22/13: Dante Bichette Jr. pushes hit streak to eight games in win @ 9 am I went to Camden Yards and all I got was this lousy walkoff loss @ 12 pm Masahiro Tanaka to post in 2014: Will the Yankees be interested? @ 3 pm New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10 pm (Game Thread at 6:30 pm)

MUSTANG: Long night, last night. ALPHONSO: Did you stay until the end?MUSTANG: Yes. Sadly. I couldn't sleep. ALPHONSO: I know. (despairingly) Are you sure he is here?MUSTANG: It says so on the program.ALPHONSO: But why haven't we seen him? And what is "the program?"MUSTANG: It's the program. The program is the program. And it says so on the program.ALPHONSO: (sighs) I just thought he would appear. MUSTANG: Yes. On a long night. Like last night. At the mound. (They look at the mound.) Do you think we missed him?ALPHONSO: He would be hard to miss. Six feet eight. Big as a willow tree.MUSTANG: With leaves.ALPHONSO: So what now? What does it say in your program?MUSTANG: We wait. ALPHONSO: Here?MUSTANG: Tampa. Or maybe Scranton. ALPHONSO: Charming cities. But if he did not appear last night, will he ever appear?MUSTANG: It doesn't matter. We wait. Tomorrow, perhaps. He will appear tomorrow night! Just wait.